Earth-treating process and product



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Be it known at I ROY G. Trams, a citizen of the United Stetes, residingin the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvements in Earth'Treati cssesProducts, of which the 0 lowing 1s a speclfication.

My invent-ion relatesto the treatment of materials, such as fullersearth, or other earths of similar characteristics, used for filtering,de-colorizin purifyin and otherwise acting upon fluids or liquisubstances, such as 0115 in general, and vegetable and animal fats andoi s, and minmail or petroleum oils, in order to dissolve or oxidizeimpurities therein, and prevent ob-' jectionable colloidal conditionsarising in the clay when brought into contact with the oils in thede-colorizmg and purifying processes.

.A general object of my invention is to so treat the earth, such asthose referred to, and glarticnlarly' fullers earth, to increase the oilcaching and pro erties thereof, and that it she by virtue o thetreatment, avoid or overcome colloidal and oil absorption tendencieswhen coming into contact with the oils to be acted upon, 'andtherefore.sef"

-will filter faster and retain less oil than here'- tofore when used inbias. de-colorizing, filte purifying and o ermse acting upon (is andliquid such as oils in genoral and to increase e durability of the caior re ted use in de-colorizing puriand boring mineral oils so that itsh be put into condition that it shall'betterwithstand or otherwiseimprove it for further treatment after havin been used uponminera l oilsand li uid su nces.

My invention also resi es in the improved material herein described andin the process of roducin' the same.

shall 0 the treatment of fullers earth found in Bexar and MedinaCounties, State of Texas, known as Medinafullers earth, for illustrativesea and as the preferred form of m invention. This fullers earth, forexamp e, as it has heretofore been treated, is first dried in a neutralatmosphere ran from 250 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit so at it may bereadily ground, or divided, (which temperatures only serve to drive oilthe free mo1sture,) and thenscreened to a range ofsizes aswillpassa200meshscreen for vegetable and animal fats and oils; and

Specification 51 letters Patent.

Application fled November 18, 1810., Serial a. $8,110.

Proc

articularly ticed, which makes it not Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

when so finely ground for use in bleaching and filtering oils retainsand absorbs more oil than clays not so finely ground, and it istherefore desirable to avoid usingclays in this finely divided conditionif possible to obtain the proper or standard bleach without so doing.However, it iseven more objectionable to use the clays, or fullersearths,

in the epreferred form of my invention, when so fin y ground and treatedas above outlined, because of its peculiar physical structure whichcauses it to disintegrate and to become colloidal, structurelesssluggish and fiocculent and indie d to diffuse or suspend itself in theoils in the bleaching and purifying process under the form of treatmentabove outlined and as heretofore raconlty difli t to bring the claysinto contact wi the oil, but tends to form in a slightly gelatinousorflocculent mass in the agitating vats, filters and filter-presses, andtherefore presents '61- tratiou tmubles'and also absorbs and retainsthqla maximum of oil when used in (file do ooor" and p processes uringfiltrat i i f Underd s ii d d'methods of treatment the clays would alsore-absorb detrimental moisture in storage before use WhlGh greatlydetracts from its bleaching properties and therefore greatly lessens thevalue of such earths ,for use in treating animal and ve ble oils andfate as above enumore New I have discovered that it is ssible toeconomically increase the bleachm' decolorizing and purifying propert es0 fullers earths, an to prevent this tendency towards colloidalitytherein by changing the physical structure or conditions of the olewithout destroying its chemical efliciency an thereby hasten filtrationand greatly reduce the objectionable oil retention tendencies and toprevent the'clay from re-absorbmg final oxidizip g and partiallneutralim'es the an excess of detrimental moisture in storage without inanywise injuriouslg afi'ecting t e character of the material uner-treatment, by subjecting the same to a heating or low bakingtemperature in a current of air which thoroughly dissolves or oxidizesand impurities out of the clay which tend to retard and interfere withthe natural bleaching functions of the earth, and at the same timeremoves nearly, but not quite, all of the combined water and producesother changes which creates it into a material of granular structurewith the maximum of porosity and not only increases its durability forrepeated use for mineral and petroleum oil uses, but greatly lessens itstendency to absorb moisture while in storage before actually using thesame.

.In the practice of my recess in its preferredform, considering or theurpose of illustration, ,its a plication to ers earth or clay the carton being. received at the place oi treatment is first reduced, orcrushed into small-lumps, the largest of which not to exceed one halfinch in diameter. When so crushed the material is artificially andthorou hly dried in any of the well known metho s sothat all the freemoisture shall be removed so that the earth may be readily ground, ordivided, into any size mesh desired. For v v oils it is desire le -forreasons already stated, of having to use a to avoid the materialthatwill pass throu h a 200 mesh screen, andfby my improve method oftreatments material und, or divided,

so that it will all ass t ugh a 100 mesh screen, but not I; through a150 mesh screen, yield an improvement of 25% in bleaching qualities, andat the same time 'filter faster-and absorb at least 20% less oils thanthe same earthy materials would ungize the treatment hdelretglflpgeractictgd.

rgrin or 'vi' t eear into the mesh it is now ready forits tie-hydratingeater used for treatment. furnace or this treatment should hpreferablybe of the rotary, inner-fine, hi y oxidizm ty e to prevent the carbon-oxide resulting i'rom the combustion of fuel to come into directcontact with the material, which afiects the earth injuriously. I findthat the beetlesults are obtained by causing the earth particles to beset in motion relative to each other and in suspension, or partialsuspension, and heating the earths in an articially supplied current, orcurrents, of air until .they are thoroughly oxidized and nearly, but notuite all of the combined water is driven 03'. domplete oxidization isindicated by a complete change in the color of the earth, either to apale yellow or slightly golden, or a mouse colored gray. The colordepending somewhat on the extable and animal fats and carrying outuniformly come in contact with all the an to which the oxidizingi and(lo-hydratgrains. An adegluate amount of air can-be chea ly and ea wellown rotary type of drier by a power driven blower, compressed air ornatural draft, preferably pre-heated so as to insure even distributionor dissemination of the air currents to all parts of the chamber. As

air supplied in the manner indicated is cheaply accomplished an excesswould, of course, be better than a deficiency to the point where itwould begin to owthe material out of the heating chamber.

The temperature of this oxidi or heat: ing chamber should range, forvebleand animal fats and all uses. from 700 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, andfrom'850to 1350 degrees Fahrenheit for mineral oil use. VThe-I time ruired for treatment and complete oxidizatlon and varies, of course inaccordance with thesiae of ains treate suiiicient de hydration ysupplied to any of the I- find that for: vegetable i an animal fats andoil uses the-time from 10 to 25 minutes, and for mineral andpetroleumoil uses from 15 to 86 minutes his variance depending entirely on thetemperature-employed and on the extent to which the mass of grains arekept in motion or an ension and thus uniformly expend to the eat andair.

It may here be noted that while I have described in considerable detaila specificm nnet of carrying out my new process of treat ing tullersearth, orclays, it is to-be understood that this description isillustrative onl and forthe p of making clear the prlnci lee under yingthe invention. Quite similar results can be obtained by the oxidizingand tie-hydrating treatment in e heat and air currents in the initialdryingof-the clays as they come from the crusher in their lump form ofone half inch or less in diameter. To secure the im provement in thismanner, however, the temperature and time employed and the velocity ofair currents supplied must greatly exceed that employed in the methodsheretofore outlined. Of necessity the bulk of the weight of these lumpswould be on the interior of these lumps and would consequently not bereadily subjected to the oxidizmg influences of the heat and aircurrents without the use of temperatures ranging from 900 to 1350degrees Fahrenheit or more, and as much air current as it is possible toapply without. blowing the'particles of clay out" of the heatingchamber, and correspondingly increasing the-length of time of treatment.

My improved method of treating fnllcrs' earth or earthy materialcompletely changes the physical structure the earth and produces a flakyand active condition in the materlul which, when brought into contactwith the oils to be treated, readiltyefocs into suspension and freelydilluses i i throughout the mass of the oil which permits each particleof clay to do its maximum of work and at the same time permits of thefreest filtration and th minimum of oil abso tion, and

produces the maximum of bleach m the dccolorizin' and purifyingprocesses.

Vihet claim, is:

1. A process for form" a filtering oil de-coloriz' and um material,

ture, 0! water, in fullers earth granule r chan id s the same to desiredsize by me means; then oxidizing and partially baking such earthymaterial in suspension in a. current of air at a temperature to driveoff a part of the combined wafer and storing the same.

3. A process for forming a filtering and o1l decolorizing and purifyingmaterial which consists in removing all the free moissure, or water infnllers earth; granulatizfi the sonic to desired size by mechani :neens;then oxidizing and baking such snrthy material in suspension in acurrent 0 21! at a tem erature to drive oil a. part of the ccmbinetiwater and storing the some.

4. A process for forming a. filtering and oil de-colorizing andpurifying material which consists in removing all the free water infullers earth; ranulating the same to desired size b mechanical means:then oxidizing and b g such earthy material inn current of air while theparticles thereof are in motion relative to each other at a-teznperatureto drive off a, part of the combined water and storing the some.

5. A process of treat main or improving the elhciency o fulle'rs ea orearthy material of similar characteristics, for use in filtering,de-colorizing and puritying oils which consists in heat treating orpartially bakin the fullers earth in a current of air whi e theparticles thereof are in motion relative to each other at a temperaturewhich drives 0d a part of the chemically combined water, which oxidizesand neutralizes i 'ents of said earth or materi ;tending to retard andbinder its bleaching properties 6. The process of treating, or impro theefiiciencyof fullers'earth, or earthy material of similarchariicteristics, for use in' filtering, de-colorizing and firilyingoils, which tends toward colloi and oil absorption in the de-colorizingan purifying process, which consists in heat treating or partially b thefullers earth in a current of air w e the particles thereof are inmotion relative to each other which completely oxidizes or neutralizes1ngredients of said earth or earthy material tending to retard or hinderits 'bleac properties, and which changes the physics structure of saidearth, or earthy material.

7. The process of treating maintaining or improving the efliciency ofiullers earth, or earthy material of similar chamcterlstics, for use infiltering, de-oolorizin and purioil li uid, which tends ward 001- andoil absorption in the de-coloriz ing recess, which consists in heattreatin or g, the fullers earth in a current 0 air while the particlesthereof are in motion relative to each other at a ten erature rangingfrom 700 d see Fahenfeitto 1350 de es F sit which changes the phyeistructure of the clays and increases the do of dispersion and diffusionof the clay t oughout the mam of oil in the de-colorizing and purifyingprocess which reduces oil absorption tendencles and hastens filtration.

8. A process for tre fullers earth, or like material, for use in te,de-colorlzing and purify-in oils and oily 1nd wh ch consists in gransting such earl: heating or partially baking such earth while the nicethereof are in motion relative to f each other and partially suspendedso as to permit free circulation of air currents, sup-- plied in anywell known manner, between the particles of the earth while the same arein motion and partial suspension; the heating or b being conducted at atemperature of from 00 to 1850 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. The herein described process which consists in treatingfi llersearth,or earthy material of similar characteristics, for use 1n filterinde-colorizing and purifying oily 1i 'dfiay first drying said earth toremove .free moisture, than reducing said earth .to suitable size bymechanical means an th new tree and artially baking said fnll- ,ersearth w e t e particles thereof strain motion relative to each other, ina current of pro-heated air until completely oxidized and nearly all thechemically combined water is driven oil.

10.- A process for treatiif fullers earth, or like material, for use intering de-color: izing and pur fying oils and oily liquid,

. istice for in filtering; de col orizing "and Purl.

earth to remove l-fiee moisture; then rewhich consists ingramilatingsuch earth to desired si conveying the earth toan apparatus permitset-in motion, alive toe'ach-other and partiell' sue endeduinavprelieated oxidizing y P eally combined water is"dr1v en'eif.'

atmoephereuntil theearthl ieomes substantiall oxidizediaml' a' part 6f;the chemically com ined wateris'drireji 'ofi.

11 A preeees o'f treating-,iullers'earth, or other earthy material" of"'charaterducing-lseidjearthito 'euitalile size by mechanical means;their conveying the same to an apparatus permitting 'such earth to befreely iravitationally dropped down through. I

atmosphere at a a 'preeated, oxidizing) temperature between 7 YFahrenheit; discharsin :free individu currents of air against flailmaterial during its-gravitational paesage on h the apparatus, so thatthe material become completely oxidized and nearly, but not quite el,the chemically combined water is driven o V.

12. A process of treatingfullers earth, or

other earth material of similar character-- iatica, for teringde-eoloriaing and puri tying oily Ii' uide, hy said earth to remove*fr'ee'moisture; then reduc' said earth to suitable by. mechanicifimeans; CODYBYIIlg said granulated earth unthe granules thereof to be -ygmid "sired size for-use.

(ler treatment to an apparat s such ul'es to be set in motion relativeto eat; other inthe oxidizing aetion of heat and air currents,continually heating such eonsists'in'settin'g such in motion, agitationand suspenslqn; p g i w of air therein;--'m any well own manner;continually heating or bakin'g the at a temperature until lt ie oxidizedand art of the combined water is driven off, or grauuletin'gto desiredsize forum 14. A method. of preparing fullers earth, or like for use infiltering, decelerizing and' purifying oil or oilyliquid, which consistsinconveyinfiisuch earth to an appa ratus permitting sue earth to besetin motion, agitation andjeu on; pro'ecting currents of airt-herein 1nany" well own manner; continually heatin er bakin the earth at atemperature unt it is oxi ized and, all the free or uncombined water isdriyen ofi, but not all the chemically combined water;- granulating orgrinding to del ROY eqrn'pnmn. In the presence of- N. Gone a W. J,1132mm.

